Big Boi, “Sir Lucious Left Foot: 
The Son of Chico Dusty”
Def Jam
“Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty” is the first proper solo LP from Big Boi, the less-revered half of legendary hip-hop duo Outkast. Just like he did with Outkast, Big Boi pushes the boundaries of what hip-hop can feel and sound like as he incorporates touches of gospel, funk, electro and even opera music into the album’s sterling 15 tracks. On “Chico Dusty,” Big Boi’s flow is agile, the lyrics are witty but immediate and the beats are both bold and soulful. While Big Boi may never receive the acclaim of his former collaborator, Andre 3000, this album is one of the high points for hip-hop in recent years.
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CHRIS ABSHIRE
 
Various Artists, “Red Stick Sounds”Louisiana Businesses, Inc.
The abundance of rich music in New Orleans typically outshines the smaller Baton Rouge music scene, but “Red Stick Sounds,” a collection of 13 songs by Baton Rouge musicians, reminds Louisianians the capital city is home to impressive talent from all genres. The album benefits the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, and artists each donated a previously unreleased song that’s now exclusive to this album, which costs $10 for a digital download available on 225’s website. Artists featured include now-defunct local college favorites Cohen and The Ghost, songbird Lindsay Rae Spurlock, the funky band Phat Hat and The LSU Jazz Faculty Trio with Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson among others.
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NICHOLAS PERSAC
 
M.I.A., /\/\ /\ Y /\Interscope Records
M.I.A.’s third album “/\/\ /\ Y /\” (a stylized version of her name, Maya) is an electrifying hodgepodge of industrial noise and hyperactive beats. The album’s high notes come on raw, raucous tracks like “Steppin’ Up” and “Meds and Feds,” which features an ultra-current Sleigh Bells sample. But there are plenty more highlights, like the dizzying “Teqkilla” and laid-back “Space.” Her sound has evolved, but the album is still distinctly M.I.A. This effort falls short of her best work on 2007’s “Kala,” but it’s a progressive entry into the Sri Lankan rapper’s catalog.
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RYAN BUXTON
 
Department of Eagles, “In Ear Park”4AD
Fans of the popular indie band Grizzly Bear will enjoy Department of Eagles.  Before joining Grizzly Bear in 2004, Daniel Rossen created music with his NYU roommate Fred Nicolaus. “In Ear Park” mixes the sounds of The Beatles and Animal Collective to create an experimental pop album. Unlike many side projects, Department of Eagles has the stability to be just as popular as the more famous Grizzly Bear.  Songs like “No One Does It Like You” and “Herringbone” offer a perfect combination of ambition and complexity.
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KRISTEN ROWLETT
 
Sun Kil Moon, “Admiral Fell Promises”Caldo Verde Records
Mark Kozelek has once again succeeded at producing a top-notch folk album by fixating the listener with easily perfect finger-picking and strumming his Spanish classical guitar. Slowly seep into Kozelek’s soul by joining him on his light-hearted journey into the clouds, if you can catch his other-worldly drift. The singer-songwriter has a gift for pouring multitudes of emotions into simple songs with free-flowing melodies that prevent his work from ever being considered anything but art.
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CATHRYN CORE
 
School of Seven Bells, “Disconnect from Desire”Vagrant Records
It’s all dream pop and electro-dance floor beats with School of Seven Bells’ latest album “Disconnect from Desire,” which dropped July 12. The album opens with the enchanting siren-like vocals of identical twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza on their most popular track, “Windstorm,” and continues to lead listeners into a haze of harmonized melodies. The album’s sound is reminiscent of M83, Beach House and The Cocteau Twins, but in a ‘80s movie  sort of everything’s-going-to-be-OK-so-let’s-drive-off-into-the-sunset-along-side-the-beach kind of way, which is to say it’s beautiful and shimmering.
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JULIAN TATE 
 
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